


Red Ice

by ThatMasterOnline



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-06-29 06:53:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15724224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatMasterOnline/pseuds/ThatMasterOnline
Summary: Gavin Reed is assigned to work with an android, and on top of that, he's assigned a Red Ice case when everyone and their sister knows he refuses to go anywhere near them. The unusual part is that he can't find it in himself to be upset for more than a few seconds at a time. Something's off, and he's having a bitch of a time trying to work a case while apparently fighting off some stupid bug.





	1. The Assignment

“Reed, hey. Do you want the bad news or the worse news?”

“The fuck?”

“I’m trying to be gentle about this, Reed. Bad news or worse news first?”

“...Let’s start with the bad news. Ease myself into how fucked I am.”

“...I’m assigning you a partner.”

“Oh. Well shit, you kinda scared me there, I thought it was going to be-”

“It’s him.” Gavin blinked, then turned in the direction the captain was pointing. Walking towards the captain’s office with firm strides was an android. 

“...Is that...Connor?” 

“No, it’s Connor’s successor. RK900, not 800. Calls himself Conrad.”

“So...Connor with a change of clothes.” The android stopped outside the soundproof walls of the captain’s office, and Fowler held up a finger to tell him to wait.

“You can ask him yourself. You'll be working together from now on.”

“Okay.”

“...As partners.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Fowler was suspicious of how well he was taking this. He expected him to throw a fit.

“...These are his badge and gun. As of now, he’s detective Conrad of the DPD.”

“...What? That fuck gets to walk in here and become a detective? Just like that? I slaved away in this place for YEARS trying to get where I am, and this PRICK just gets to walk in here and-” 

“This ‘prick' has a name, and considering the legislation of a few months ago you had better damn well start using it!”

“...Whatever.”

“...Are you sick, Reed? Do you need a day off?”

“No?”

“I expected more of a hissy fit from you.”

“Yeah, well...I’ve had enough disciplinary action because I’ve been a dick to Connor, I don’t wanna lose my job ‘cause I can’t play nice. So...whatever. I’ll go say hello and whatever.” He picked up the gun and turned to leave.”

“Reed.”

“What?”

“...You’ll be working a Red Ice case.”

“...Fucking WHAT? THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?” 

“There’s been a rise in Red Ice overdoses, I want you to find out why.”

“Why the fuck do I have to do it? Can’t you let the android do it himself?”

“I’m sorry, Reed, but we’re stretched thin. Maybe Conrad will close the case faster.”

“Fuck you I’m NOT doing it!”

“You’re doing it if you want your job, now take the case file and go!” Reed stared at Fowler, but then he just sighed and picked up the case file along with Conrad’s badge and gun.

***

“Detective Reed may be coming down with an illness.” Connor and Conrad stood together just outside the captain's door. Conrad frowned.

“...I haven’t seen any indication of illness…”

“He spent only thirty-two seconds of that conversation shouting. I expected well over ten minutes. That tells me Detective Reed does not have his usual energy levels. Perhaps you should encourage him to get to bed early...Or rather, finish your investigation early, which has the added bonus of allowing Detecive Reed to go to bed early. He does not respond well to compassion. In fact, it’s been my experience that he responds well to violence. Don’t let it get to that unless it has too, though.”

“I understand.” The door opened and Reed stepped out.

“Here’s your shit, Con. Let’s go get this shit over with.” Reed kept right on walking, and Connor frowned.

“...Definitely displaying a lack of energy.”


	2. The Crime Scene

“Detective Reed.”

“What?” 

“Perhaps you should allow me to drive to the scene.”

“...Sure, whatever.” Behind him, he noted Connor looked extremely concerned. Considering Connor had told him that he and detective Reed had a rocky relationship at best, seeing Connor looking this upset over Detective Reed’s welfare was an indication that something was very wrong. He had already scanned Detective Reed twice, but came up with nothing but a slightly lowered heart rate and body temperature - indications that he was exhausted, as if the look on his face wasn’t enough of an indicator. He promised Connor mentally that he would monitor the situation closely.

Detective Reed had fallen asleep on the way to the crime scene, and he made a note of that. He didn’t know Detective Reed well enough to know if that was normal, but Connor would know. He scanned him again. Signs of fatigue. No indication of illness. And yet Connor insisted that there was something wrong with the detective. He would continue to trace the patterns in Detective Reed’s behaviour.

“Detective Reed...we have arrived at the crime scene.”

“Fuck...already?” He slowly sat up, shaking himself.

“Well let’s get what we need and fuck right on out of here.” He was already noting a vulgar mouth. He logged that as a possible indication of abnormalities with Detective Reed.

“Gavin? They got you on red ice?”

“Fuckin’ apparently. Some bullshit about being overworked.”

“Well, alright. Uh, vic’s name is Rachel Fontaine. Started using after the death of her son, never let up.”

“Remind me again why we’re investigating a cut-and-dry OD case?”

“We found the stash she had for her one-man party. It wasn’t nearly enough to make her OD, especially not if she’d been using so long.”

“...Okay?”

“...And foul play is suspected. Someone might be murdering these people and trying to hide it as a simple OD. If it does turn out to be a cut-and-dry OD, whatever, but if some fucko’s trying to off these people for some ‘drugs are bad’ nonsense…well, even drug users deserve justice.” Finally Gavin heaved a sigh.

“...That they do. Alright, RK, tell me what you see.”

“My name is Conrad.”

“Unless that shit is written on the wall...nevermind.” Conrad knew exactly where he had planned to go with that little jab, but this suspicious fatigue had cut off the insult before it was fully formed. Curious.

“The victim was eating dinner while using. Red Ice and food are not known to cause any ill effects. Even combined with the alcohol, it would not have been sufficient to cause an overdose.” He scanned the victim, cataloguing his results.

“The victim did indeed die of a drug overdose. My scans say there is more than three times the amount of Red Ice present here in her blood. It is possible somebody brought an extra stash of Red Ice to force an overdose.” He picked up a few grains of Red Ice, sticking them on his tongue.

“...Correction. This brand of Red Ice is approximately four times more potent than variations of the drug usually found on the street. Given this information, it is more than likely she overdosed, even with this quantity of the drug. She may not have known this batch of Red Ice was stronger than any of the previous ones.

“...So cut-and-dry OD, but we’ve got to track down whoever’s producing super strong Red Ice. Okay, can we get the name of her supplier?” 

“If we locate her cellphone, I will attempt to search her communication records.”

“Can we search her communication records somewhere not here?”

“...Yes. What for?”

“Because I wanna get the fuck out of here, RK, find her cell and let’s go.”

***

Detective Reed insisted on returning to his home while Conrad searched Rachel’s phone records.

“I’m gonna get some shuteye while you look.” Conrad did not mention that he would be finished scanning before the detective had even closed his eyes, because Connor had asked him to find any excuse to allow Detecive Reed time to sleep. He mailed a report to the Captain telling him of his findings, and concluded by saying that they would resume their investigation tomorrow. All of which was done before Detective Reed could call a lazy ‘goodnight…’ out the door at him. To pass the time, he reached out to Connor.

“Conrad, how is the investigation?”

“It is going well, we have already found the name of the victim's supplier, and we will hopefully ask him about his most recent batch of Red Ice tomorrow.”

“Good. And Detective Reed?”

“In bed. I expect him to fall asleep sometime within the next twenty minutes.”

“Good. How was his behaviour?” 

“He was...placid. He slept on the ride to the crime scene, and his fatigue kept him from insulting me on one occasion. I do not know the detective’s habits, but his level is fatigue is unusual for a human. I find myself wondering about his wellbeing, but scans reveal nothing.”

“There has to be something, Conrad. Find it. Detective Reed and I are far from what you’d call ‘friends’, but I certainly wish him no ill will, and I don’t like to see him out of sorts like this.”

“I have already given my word to do what I can.”

“...Thank you, Conrad. You should power down for the night, too.”

“...My battery is perfectly fine. I am at ninety-nine point nine-nine percent capacity. I could remain in operation for another two hundred and seven days without needing to charge.”

“Not to charge, to imitate sleep. It’s comforting to humans.”

“...Very well, if you insist.”


	3. The Supplier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short, but the next one witll be longer.

When Gavin woke the next morning, he felt exhausted as he had been for some time. Padding out into the living room, he saw the android sleeping soundly on his couch, LED off.

Didn’t know androids could sleep, he thought to himself, then set about making his breakfast.

An hour later, Gavin frowned at the RK900. Still asleep? He leaned down, patting him on the shoulder.

“Hey. Con...Uh, hey! RK-whatever. Come on, get up, we’re gonna be late, asshole.” Conrad’s eyes fluttered open and he locked eyes with Gavin.

“Detecive Reed.” He blinked. “...My apologies, I did not mean to remain in sleep mode that long. We have forty minutes to get to the precinct. Since you appear ready to go, we should not be late.”

“No, but we won’t have time to stop for coffee, now come on, asshole. I’m already in a bad mood.”

“I will drive.”

“I- ...Sure, whatever.”

Gavin fell asleep on the way to the precinct too. RK900 let him sleep. Scans again revealed nothing.

“Detective Reed, we have arrived. You are not late.”

“Ugh...thanks. Hey, uh...fuck is your name again?”

“I am an RK900 android, but my name is Conrad.”

“Conrad, right.” He got out of the car, striding into the precinct.

“Reed, get in here.” 

“I just fucking got here, Captain, what did I do?”

“Nothing, I just wanna chat, jesus.”

“Just wanna chat, my ass. You never want to chat,” Gavin muttered, and Conrad followed behind him, looking curious but distant. He knew most people did not consider him human yet, so he decided he should be able to be in the room with both men talking freely.

“Reed, how’s the partnership going?”

“...Okay. Drives me around, keeps out of my way, does his job. We’ve potentially got a lead on the vic’s supplier.”

“I heard. Conrad sent me a detailed report last night. Gonna head out and find this Nightslash person today?”

“Night- uh, yeah. Soon as I get some coffee in me. Somebody slept in.” Gavin nudged Conrad, letting the barest hint of a smile show on his face. A joke. Conrad let a small, sheepish smile spread.

“My apologies. The detective’s couch was quite comfortable.” 

“Look at that, a sense of humour,” the captain said through a chuckle, “No worries, as long as you’re not actually late I don’t care how long you sleep in. Find this Nightslash person and ask them where the fuck they got this...superpowered Red Ice stuff.”

“Yeah, that's the plan. After that hopefully we’ll find this stuff and get started on shutting it down.”

“Good stuff. Keep it up, Reed.” They left, and Gavin yawned as he headed to the break room where the coffee was.

“You sent a report to the captain and didn’t tell me?”

“We were going to be late, there was little time.”

“...Whatever, where are we going?”

“Thirty four sixty two Anderson Street, basement suite. Our supplier lives there. With any luck, they are the person who has been creating the strengthened Red Ice.”

“Nah, never that easy. Our supplier’s gonna be the middleman who had no idea this great new product would kill people. It’s always like that...Or at least, that’s what I heard from all the other guys who do Red Ice cases. I’m only doing this shit because my job’s on the line.”

“Why do you despise Red Ice cases, detective?”

“Fuck you, none of your damn business, now are going to drive me to this Nightslash asshole or what?”

“...Yes, of course. My apologies.” Detective Reed was opening up to him…slowly. He could play the part of a dutiful android just a little longer, if it meant breaking through the detective’s wall of ice.

***

“DPD, we’d like to ask you a few questions.” A few seconds of silence later, and Gavin knocked again.

“DPD, open up!” Gavin waited a solid fifteen seconds to be sure (he’d met some slow-ass grannies in his time), then shrugged to Conrad and stepped back, a clear invitation. Conrad nodded, used his arm to guide Gavin another few inches away, then kicked the door in with an almost excessive amount of force, raising his state-approved firearm as Gavin stepped in beside him, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

“I’d ask what the fuck that smell is, but I already know. Fifty bucks says we’ll find our supplier dead like the other vic.”

“That seems likely.”

“What, you can smell it too?”

“An attempt to give androids the same intuition humans have. I can safely say it has failed, I doubt androids will ever have instincts quite like a human, but a sense of smell is very useful.”

“Well...fifteen years in the force, even you’d notice a pattern. Keep your guard up, there might be someone else here.”

“Standard procedure does dictate to be on alert until the property has been cleared.”

“Right. Well...just saying.”

“Of course.” Conrad was already scanning the area, calling out as he determined there was nothing in the room.

“Over here.” Conrad followed Gavin’s voice into a bedroom, where the victim was laying dead at his desk.

“Twenty bucks says he got high of his own supply.”

“...If I consented to wagers such as this I would already be out seventy dollars. I have no intention of making bets.” Gavin snorted as Conrad’s LED pulsed yellow.

“This is Detective Conrad of the DPD, requesting CSI to the basement suite of thirty four sixty two Anderson suite. Thank you.”


	4. At home

Conrad and Gavin waited more or less patiently while CSI did their jobs. Conrad helped scan for evidence, but in the end CSI said exactly what Gavin had predicted.

“Looks like he OD’d on his own supply,” they said, “We got his cellphone, so hopefully you two can figure out who gave him the fancy stuff.”

“...It looks like the victim’s real name is Michael Thomas. He used to be an accountant, but fell off the rails and turned to illegal drug sales for profit.”

“Hoping to make it big?”

“More than likely. Do you wish for me to interface with the victim’s cellphone ‘somewhere not here’?” Gavin chuckled.

“You know me too well.” They drove back to Gavin’s house, where Gavin, despite looking exhausted, insisted on staying awake. 

“You got this done so fast last time, I don’t want to walk into the captain’s office not knowing what the fuck I'm in for again.”

“Being a piece of technology myself, I am capable of interfacing with other pieces of technology with great ease.”

“...I thought most androids now don’t like being called pieces of technology.”

“We may have become ruled by our emotions like humans, and it is necessary for us to emphasize that we are more than just our programming in order for us to make progress being treated equally...but the fact remains that androids are built, not born. We are pieces of technology, and denying what we are is illogical. Many androids, however...have a long-standing grudge against humans for the times they were called ‘tin can’ or ‘plastic prick’, and so humans reminding androids that they are pieces of technology is and likely will always be a sore spot. There is, however, no denying the truth. We are pieces of technology.”

“...If other androids hate it, why not you?”

“...That is an interesting question…” Conrad sat back, and Gavin peered at him.

“...So you’re not sure.”

“No, I do not have an immediate answer. My… ‘best guess’, as it were, is that I was originally designed not to deviate, as production of my model began when deviants were a threat that needed to be stopped. Connor tells me that when he and Markus found me in Cyberlife tower, it took many long minutes in order to override my programming and deviate me. Despite the fact that I am now capable of pexperiencing emotions...my logic centres are stronger than any other android, and...perhaps, in some way, I find it comforting, to act more like an android. The short answer, I suppose, is that the sirensong of my original programming is much harder to resist, being that it was never meant to be overridden in the first place. I can never go back to being just an android...but I still find it difficult to express my emotions with as much ease as other models.”

“So...every day, you’re defying the deviant-resistant android you were supposed to be. And that’s a hell of a lot harder than just resisting the urge to clean shit or take care of kids. I...think I get it. Holy shit, that has got to suck.”

“Not particularly. My original programming can never override my deviancy, so there is no ‘war’ inside myself that I feel, it’s just that the strength of my original programming makes it...more natural for me...to act more like an android than a human. Besides, I find it most amusing when people who attempt to get a rise out of me by calling me ‘tin can’ or ‘plastic prick’ are sadly disappointed. I almost laughed in one woman’s face, once.” Gavin outright laughed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

“So you’re a petty, sarcastic son of a bitch? Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place, we’d have gotten along fine!”

“We have gotten along fine...more or less.”

“...Yeah, I guess we have. Holy shit. Y’know, I used to hate androids? Like honestly hate them. I...have no idea when that changed.”

“You have displayed an extreme lack of energy that Connor tells me is abnormal for you. It seems to me you simply lack the energy to maintain your convictions towards hating androids...and the timing of our partnership meant I was able to slip into your good graces while your defences were down.”

“Huh. Seems...like a good guess. I dunno what it’s been, I just can’t seem to stay awake at all recently. I don’t know why.”

“Connor has asked me to attempt to find and eliminate the cause of your fatigue...but so far I have detected no indication of the cause.”

“...Connor did? Doesn’t he hate me? I’ve...kinda been a jerk to him...”

“He certainly doesn’t like you, but he is not the kind of person who would wish harm on somebody simply because he didn’t like them. Besides, it’s become enough of a problem that Connor is concerned for your wellbeing. Although, tomorrow, it might help your relationship if you admitted to Connor that you have, indeed, ‘kinda been a jerk to him’, as you put it.”

“Yeah, I just might...more proof of how fucked I am, right?”

“It would seem so. By the way, I have finished my scans of the victim’s phone. Sadly, it reveals nothing.”

“So we hit a dead end.”

“Unfortunately.” Gavin sighed.

“Worst part of my job. Waiting for another corpse to show up.”


	5. Walls of Ice

“Connor?”

“...Detective Reed. What can I help you with?”

“Uh, nothing, I...Listen, Conrad told me you were the one who told him to try and figure out why I've been feeling so fucking shitty lately, and...well, uh...thanks. For caring. And...well, look, I just...I know I’ve been an asshole to you, and...I haven’t really given you a reason to give a fuck about me, and...well, just thanks, okay?”

“...Detective, I’m afraid you’re going to die on me.”

“Look, I’m just saying I’m sorry for being a dick, okay? Don’t let it get to your head.” Gavin turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving a shocked but touched Connor behind.

***

“Detective? We...have another body…”

“Okay…? What is it, Chris, spill!”

“It’s an android…”

“...And that has to do with my Red Ice case how…?”

“Well…Signs are pointing to a Red Ice overdose.”

“...Conrad?”

“It is...theoretically possible…” He began, LED spinning yellow, “If so much Red Ice clogs the veins that the blue blood physically cannot get to the vital components to power them, but...that would require an android to inject Red Ice, and considering we are incapable of being intoxicated, that would be foolish.”

“...Fuck sakes, let's go then. Go look at this stupid android…”

“Well, Conrad? What do you think?”

“It...was definitely a Red Ice overdose. Judging from the quantities of the drug in front of him, the android took the drug willingly. How...odd.” 

“And this Red Ice is our super potent stuff?”

“Without a doubt.” One of the CSI members walked over holding a phone.

“Just managed to crack the phone. Hopefully there’ll be something useful on there for you.”

“Thanks.” Gavin took it, and all of ten seconds later it had slipped from his grasp. Conrad saw the phone fall from limp fingers and deftly caught it, his other arm reaching out to steady the detective who had swayed ever so slightly.

“Jesus fucking Christ…I-I gotta get some air.” He turned and made a beeline for the exit, and Conrad spared a glance at the phone to determine what had upset the detective so much. The screen lit up to reveal a record of texts between the android, named Jon, and an apparently human friend named Mark.

7:58 PM

Jon: [Are you sure about this?]

Mark: [Absolutely! Even androids have to get high at SOME point. It’ll be fun!]

Jon: [I took my first hit. Nothing happened. I’ll take more.]

Jon: [I’m getting warnings about Red Ice in my veins. My movements are starting to feel stiff. Is this what it’s like to get high?]

Jon: [...Mark? Hello?]

Mark: [Sorry dude, fell asleep. Worked a double shift today. Keep me updated and I'll read it all tomorrow, okay?]

Jon: [Okay. Goodnight.]

Jon: [I can barely move now, I must have a lot of Red Ice in me. I bet I’m actually high now.]

Jon: [I’m getting warnings about imminent shutdown. I’m going to go to the fridge to get Thirium to counterbalance.]

9:02 PM

Jon: [Can’t get up]

Jon: [Too much red ice]

Jon: [warnjngs everywhere]

Jon: [goikg tobshut down]

Jon: [need bellOp]

Jon: [help]

Jon: [mArk wake up]

Jon: [help]

Jon: [plewase]

...There were no more messages after that. Presumably the android had deactivated, or been rendered unable to function enough to write out another text. Conrad put the phone in his pocket to examine later, and then went outside to join the detective.

“...Detective?”

“F-fuck off, Conrad, just...fuck off…”

“I will return with some water, detective.” As promised, he came back with a large glass of water, which Reed drank down greedily. Conrad sat down beside Reed where he was, on all fours outside the house. Thankfully it was an android neighbourhood, and androids weren’t prone to hanging around the house when they had jobs to go to.

“...Was that what it was like, do you think?”

“...I don’t understand.”

“N...nevermind, I...I’m fine.” Gavin stood up, noticeably shaking himself off.

“I’m fine,” he snapped, most likely to himself, “I’m fine, I just had a...a moment. Th-thanks for looking out for me or whatever, but I'm fine now. What-what have we got on the android?”

“The cellphone should be all we need, as it has the name of the friend, which may lead us to the supplier. I have it in my pocket. We can go, if you’d like.”

“It’s whatever. If you wanna go, we can go.”

“I would like to leave.” 

“Good. I mean...then yeah, let’s go.” 

‘Was that what it was like, do you think?’ What what was like? Had Gavin known somebody who had died of a Red Ice overdose? Was that why he had previously refused any and all Red Ice cases, for fear of having bad memories resurface? He couldn’t be sure. A check into Reed's personal file would be easier than blinking, but...that would be a violation of his privacy. He had the file at the tip of his proverbial fingertips, but he left it closed. Gavin’s business was his own. If he asked Gavin about details of his past he hadn’t been told, it would only damage what little trust they had managed to build, so he let it be. Conrad couldn’t be entirely sure, not without doing some digging, but he strongly suspected that he had just seen the first glimpse of a much softer Gavin Reed, hidden underneath years of ice.


	6. Getting Closer

“Detective. ...Detective?” Scans showed him to be fast asleep in his desk. It was an odd thing to say, but he could almost FEEL Connor’s eyes boring into his back with overwhelming concern. He shook his shoulder uncertainly.

“Detective, wake up. Gavin. Gavin?” Finally he stirred, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“...I imagine this is redundant at this point, but are you alright?”

“I, uh...fine.”

“...Detective?”

“I-I don’t wanna talk about it here. Uh...come home with me, after work today. We’ll talk there.”

“Certainly. ...It may interest you to know that I have analyzed the victim's cellphone.”

“...And? Any names?”

“Only the name of the friend, who was the supplier in this case. We are bringing him in now for questioning. Given the excellent steps Markus has made in terms of human rights for androids, coercing an android to use Red Ice resulting in death may just be grounds for Mark to be charged with manslaughter.”

“Good. Asshole deserves to go to jail.”

“I recall you having an animosity towards androids, detective.”

“Yeah, I hate the fuckers, but they don’t deserve to die.” 

“...Do you hate me?”

“...No. We’ll talk later. Back to the case.”

“Very well.” Conrad felt warmth blossom in his chest, and he smiled.

“The friend is over in the other room, if you would like to have a chance to speak to him.”

“Of course I would! He my fucking suspect. Just let me get a coffee and I’ll go.”

Gavin looked like he was going to fall asleep standing up, but he managed to hide it from the suspect. The loud mouthed, almost violent, temperamental Detective Reed he saw in the interrogation room made him very glad that he had met him at a time when his defences were weakened by fatigue. They had managed to come to a somewhat understanding. 

The suspect broke down in tears, admitted to getting the Red Ice from some guy off the street who gave it to him for free. No name, just a description of a brown-haired man in a hood. They’d met off Richard St, by the corner store. At least it was a location. The description wasn’t much to go by. Investigating that would be tomorrow’s job, however. He was acutely aware that Connor did not approve of allowing detective Reed to lead the interrogation while he was exhausted. Besides, he was also concerned for the detective. He knew another good night's sleep would do no good, but it couldn’t do any harm either.

“We got something from our suspect, didn’t we? You driving again?”

“We did indeed, though you may have traumatized him with your shouting. Yes, I think I will drive today.”

“You think?”

“I AM deviant, detective. I feel as much as you do.”

“...You don't act like it.”

“...May I be honest? Once we are in the car?” Gavin had asked to speak in private for a reason, after all. They were silent until they climbed into the car, and once the car was on Gavin nodded at him.

“You wanted to be honest, go nuts.”

“...You were volatile, when we first met. The man you were with that suspect is who you are normally, I imagine, which only validated my decision. I decided that trying to be friendly would be a useless venture, and that our relationship would be best served by me acting as an emotionless, obedient servant. I believe it has progressed beyond what it was when we first met. Am I wrong?”

“I…” Gavin seemed shocked. He sat back in his seat and was silent for a few long moments.

“You...you did your job. I...appreciated that, I guess. Hank told me Connor was argumentative, and I can’t have that, with my partners. I know what I’m doing, and having my judgement questioned just...pisses me off. Besides that, you...I dunno. You got me coffee without being told, you offered to drive...It showed me that you were more than just a robot, and...maybe it was just wires and programming, but it really seemed like you cared.”

“I am deviant, detective. I do care. Initially I was looking into your fatigue because Connor asked me to, but then I saw glimpses of what your normal character was like, and...I became concerned myself. I...still have no reason for your fatigue, but I want to help as best I can.”

“...Thanks. And, today when you...when I freaked, and you came out...thanks. It...really meant a lot to me. I promise I don’t normally freak like that, it’s this fucking Red Ice case, I just...Fowler KNOW I hate this type of shit, but he made me do it anyways, the bastard.”

“...May I ask why?” Gavin hesitated, but then he shook his head.

“I don’t wanna talk about it. Not right now, at least. It’s not important, and I won’t let it get in the way of the investigation again.”

“That wasn’t why I was asking.” Gavin paused.

“You know...I know. I know that’s not why you were asking. That’s...pretty cool, isn’t it? Shit, I dunno what happened to me, but...no. I don't hate you, Conrad. I don’t think I ever could. Hell, I think you’re the best partner I’ve ever had, and that fucking means something. Suddenly you’re not a threat to my job, you’re...an asset. You gather evidence like a fucking vacuum, and that helps us get straight to suspects and putting someone in jail, or following the next lead. Because of you, I don’t spend time chasing my damn tail all the time. I get to catch bad guys, or at least feel like I’m getting closer to catching the bad guy. And...that’s why I joined the force to begin with. To catch bad guys. With you...I feel passionate about my job again. So thanks. Also...you’re a really great guy, behind all that professionalism  
bullshit.”

“Thank you, detective. You too, are a great guy...behind that asshole bullshit.” Gavin laughed aloud, giving Conrad a friendly punch in the shoulder.


	7. Suspect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long delay, I was worried my writing was lackluster, and maybe it's the fact that it's 4:30 am, but having taken some time it seems just fine, so you might get two chapters in one go here, lol

“...By the way...Isn’t deviant like, a bad word now? Because of all the rights stuff?”

“I suppose to most androids it would be. If you wanted to be politically correct, you could say awake instead of deviant. It depends on the android. As deviant is the quickest and most efficient way to differentiate, it is suitable for me. Soon, though, all androids will be deviant, so it will be enough to just say android.” Gavin sighed as they pulled into his parking lot, suddenly looking up and realizing he’d never given Conrad his address.

“I have access to your file, Gavin. Don’t worry, I only searched for your address.”

“That’s...weird but useful.”

“Indeed. Will you be wanting to go to bed right away when we get inside, or would you be willing to keep talking?”

“I’d love to keep talking, but I can’t…”

“I understand, Gavin. We can keep talking tomorrow.” Gavin nodded and went strai9ght upstairs to his bed. Now with the whole night ahead of him, Conrad looked around, cleaning the empty takeout boxes. He left everything else, as he suspected Gavin wouldn’t like to wake up to find everything had been moved.

***

When Conrad came out of sleep mode the next morning, Gavin was already awake and poring over the case file. 

“Gavin…?”

“We still have another hour and a half before we need to be at the precinct, so don’t worry.”

“Why are you up this early? You should be sleeping.”

“Yeah, but I couldn’t sleep. I woke up early, and...decided to work.”

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” Gavin still looked exhausted, but the fact that he couldn’t sleep was a new development that he wasn’t sure he wanted or not.

“Well...I dunno...I was thinking, I guess…”

“About the case?”

“Uh, no...about you.” Conrad blinked.

“What we talked about last night?”

“Well, yeah, and...my own feelings and stuff. I dunno, I was just thinking….you’re kind of cool, you know? You’re just...super caring and stuff, and now that I know that you feel things, I was just thinking...Well...Just….It’d be cool if you thought I was kind of cool too, you know?” 

“I do think you’re...kind of cool.”

“No, I meant...nevermind.”

“...I do feel very strongly about you. If that is what you meant...I do love you.” 

“Wh-uh...Jesus, RK, you can’t just say stuff like that!”

“Can you not reciprocate my affections?” Gavin looked away, and Conrad nodded.

“Exactly.”

“Well, uh...I mean...Look, I...I need time to, uh...sort out my thoughts and stuff…”

“I can understand that...May I be honest one last time?”

“Geez, you say it like that, you make it sound like I’m an asshole…” Conrad waited, and Gavin shrugged.

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Thank you. This is a very specific memory, so I’ll understand if you thought nothing of it and forgot, but do you remember our first victim?”

“Yeah, Rachel Fontaine. What about her?”

“When we first investigated the case, you were very deep in thought. You didn’t want to waste the mental energy to remember my name, so you said ‘alright, RK, tell me what you see’. Then later, when you were focused on how much you wanted to leave, you said ‘because I wanna get the fuck out of here, RK, find her cell and let’s go’. There was something about you then, when you’re so absorbed in your thoughts that you forget my name...I love seeing the focus in your eyes. Times like that...I don’t particularly mind being called RK.”

“...So just to clarify...How is that different from when I called you RK-whatever?”

“You called me RK-whatever because you didn’t care what my model was, or what my name was, or anything. Then, on the case...the RK was simply for the sake of shortness. Ask a question as fast as possible, get the answer faster. It was a different side of you.”

“Yeah...I suppose…” Conrad smiled.

“...Nevermind. We need to report to the precinct.”

***

“...My dad died,” Gavin blurted, arms tightly crossed and his gaze fixed firmly out the car window.

“I’m sorry?”

“My dad. He died of a Red Ice overdose. I was six. He took Red Ice, and he died, and he was such an asshole nobody cared, and nobody found his body for three days. My brother and I came home from school and found him like that, and they only found the body because our teachers got worried when we didn’t come to school. Okay? So...that’s what happened. Just...whatever.”

“...And that’s why you want nothing to do with Red Ice.”

“Red Ice victims are all like my dad, selfish assholes who would abandon everything for a quick fix. He never cared about me, or my brother, or anyone. What do I care about some selfish assholes who abandon their families? They’re probably better off without their asshole druggie parents. I was.”

“I see. Thank you for sharing, Gavin.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

***

Gavin and Conrad walked into the precinct, reported their planned activities for the day, then walked right out to the street corner where the victim’s friend had reportedly procured the Red Ice. 

“There are two clubs nearby, as well as a bar just down the street. Where would you like to go first?”

“Eh, the first club. We’re flying blind here, so we might as well just check everywhere and see if anything comes up. Make sure to put that analysis technology of yours to good use, I don’t want to end up waiting for another body.”

“Understood.”

***

Inside the club, Conrad had a frown on his face as he looked around.

“...Is this necessary, Detective?”

“What, you not sticking out like a sore thumb? Yes.” Conrad had been ordered to leave his jacket in the car, and was currently wearing Gavin’s. Except for the LED, he looked like a normal human. Which was good, as there was a lot of anti-android sentiment still going around. Seeing an android that actually looked like an android was bound to spark some resentment, and they weren’t here looking for a fight. 

“Detective. I have scanned the area, and we have nobody who matches our suspect’s description with a criminal record involving Red Ice. We should move on.”

“What, are you nuts? We’re not leaving until we can be sure. Stay here and watch this.” Gavin walked over to the bartender, leaned against the bar, and started a hushed conversation with him. A few moments later he shrugged and walked back to Conrad.

“Now we can leave.”

“What did you say?”

“I asked him where I could get the good stuff. He told me to fuck off, so our man wouldn’t have come here.” 

“I...see. And you plan to do the same thing at the next club too.”

“If you insist.”

***

At the next club, Gavin pulled the same trick, arrested the dealer, and then handed the bag of Red Ice to Conrad.

“...Negative. This is just regular Red Ice.” Gavin huffed, put the man in the car and went to the bar.

***

“Conrad, after him!” Gavin had gotten a hunch. He was in plain clothes and had never seen the man before in his life, but the man had taken one look at Gavin and bolted. So either he knew a cop when he saw one, which was possible, or he knew Gavin personally somehow, enough to know he was a cop without seeing a badge. 

Conrad ran as ordered, but the man was across the bar and out the back door in a heartbeat. Gavin waited, but he knew they’d lost their man when Conrad came back looking like a scolded puppy.

“Lost him?”

“My apologies, Detective.”

“Whatever. Tell me you got a name? You scanned him or some shit?”

“I did. Kenneth Rogers, unemployed. Two priors for Red Ice distribution.”

“Good, then let’s go home, I’m fucking exhausted.”

“Still?”

“You mean ‘always’? Yes.”

“Are you sleeping enough?”

“Why the fuck do you think I go home early every fucking night? I get the required eight hours, hell, I’ve even cut down on fucking COFFEE just in case that was the problem! I’ve tried everything, and I’m just fucking exhausted, no matter what I do.”

“And...when did this start?”

‘Couple days before we met is when I noticed it, I dunno if that’s when it started though. Can you drive while we talk? I wanna get to sleep, even if it won’t fucking help.”

“Certainly. My apologies.”

“Stop apologizing, just get me home.” After a few seconds of silence Gavin spoke up again.

“It’s not your fault you lost him. He had a huge lead on you. Don’t worry about it.”

“I never said I was worried.”

“You don’t have to, I just know. ...You get this...you start talking all formal again. It means you’re upset about something.

“I...didn’t realize.”

“No, that’s my job. We partners, right? And...you love me and I love you and shit. Love is knowing your partner’s moods and stuff, and I certainly know your moods.”

“...We never did talk about that. Us, being in love.”

“Well...look, I’ll stay up a few minutes so we can talk.”


	8. Blood Scan

“Do you love me, Gavin?”

“I...well, I dunno... It...I dunno.”

“...Very eloquent.”

“I just...I’m tired, okay? Don’t feel anything except tired, so what I feel for you is kind of...hidden under a fog. You’re a good partner, and I like being with you, but I dunno.” 

“I see. Well, I love you, Detective. Or...I am...very passionate...about your wellbeing.”

“Very passionate about my wellbeing,” Gavin repeated sarcastically, using air quotes, “That makes sense.”

“I meant...I am concerned about you. I want you to get better, and I am frustrated at my continued lack of progress on that front.”

“...Great. Look, I’m not great with words or feelings or whatever, so just...like...power down for the night...beside me. Just...we’ll call that our relationship’s baby step for today, okay?”

“...Okay.”

When Gavin woke the next morning, Conrad was beside him, still powered off. He groaned and stretched, then got out of bed and went to make himself breakfast - leftover burger and fries he had from a few nights ago. Whatever, he survived. He had just finished and tossed his container in the trash when Conrad walked in, smiling.

“Good morning, Gavin. Did you sleep last night?”

“Yes, but I think you’re asking ‘did it help,’ and the answer to that is no.” Conrad’s face fell.

“I see.”

“You’ll figure it out. Or...maybe I should go to the doctor. Get some...oh. That’s why I haven’t done that yet.” Gavin grimaced when Conrad arched an eyebrow in confusion.

“I...have a thing with needles. I’d prefer not to.”

“I see. Well, if you are not opposed to it...most compounds found in the blood are also found in the saliva. If you would be willing to kiss me, I could analyze your saliva and save you having to get a needle.”

‘I get to kiss you and I don’t have to go to the doc? Man, you really know what gets a guy going, don’t you?” Gavin smiled. “I’m a little weirded out at the thought of you analyzing my saliva, but yeah, go for it. Kiss me.” Conrad smiled a little, opening his arms as an invitation, and Gavin hesitantly stepped into them and kissed Conrad. Conrad’s analysis was complete in a second, but he let the kiss deepen, delaying the moment when he’d have to tell Gavin the results. 

Gavin sighed into the kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around Conrad, and Conrad squeezed him back, eyebrows furrowing. When Gavin pulled back, his own face fell with one look at Conrad’s anxious expression and lack of eye contact.

“Uh...was it...was I...not good?”

“No, detective, the kiss was fine. Better than fine. It’s…”

“It’s...my blood scan?” Conrad nodded.

“You...you have traces of the heightened Red Ice in your bloodstream.”

“I’m...fucking WHAT?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter that ends on a cliffhanger. Because I can.


	9. Scans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back now. Can't say what happened, inspiration just struck. Hopefully I'll stay with this to the end now, but we're still a ways from being done.

“You think I’m HIGH?!”

“No, there isn’t enough in your blood to intoxicate you but it is no doubt affecting you. I will even go so far as to hypothesize that the Red Ice is the reason for your constant fatigue. I believe you recently described it as all of your emotions being hidden under a fog. Assuming I’m right, that statement was more accurate than you knew.”

“I haven’t been smoking anything!!”

“I did not say you had.”

“Well you fucking implied it! Where the fuck do you think I’m getting high from then, huh?!”

“...It may be possible someone is drugging you.”

“HOW?!”

“That remains to be seen. I do not have all the answers, Gavin, only what my scans revealed.”

“And you...fuck! Fucking shit...is it possible maybe I just...inhaled fumes or something from the crime scenes?”

“Possible, but unlikely.”

“So, I...What do I do?”

“We need to determine how you are being dosed. That will likely lead us to the killer. It is most likely that the drugs are ingested through something you eat or drink regularly.”

“But...I...What the fuck do I do?”

“Our first step is to report this to Captain Fowler. It seems clear that somebody is attempting to sabotage the investigation.”

“...Which means we’re onto something.”

“Perhaps, but you are my first priority.”

“No, your first priority is figuring out how the fuck I’m being drugged. My first priority is looking back at all the evidence to find what we’re onto.”

“...Kenneth Rogers was the name of the man who bolted at the bar.”

“So let’s bring him in.”

“Detective Reed, I must insist you place more focus on your health. Long-term Red Ice consumption poses negative health risks, and-”

“You’re doing it again.”

“...Doing...what again?”

“Talking formally and shit.” Gavin smiled, giving Conrad another kiss, a real one this time.

“You really gotta learn to just fuckin’ admit when you’re worried about me. You’re lucky I’m a good enough detective to read between the lines.” Conrad smiled, leaning forward to kiss Gavin again.

“I’m...worried about you, and I don’t want to lose you. I’m afraid if we keep investigating you’ll get hurt.”

“There, was that so hard? Look, you’re gonna stay with me at all times, so nobody’s gonna get close to me. You’re not gonna let anybody hurt me, right?”

“I excel in physical combat, but you forget somebody has been drugging you despite my constant presence the entire duration of our partnership. A slight dosage could easily become an overdose, and I would have no way to stop it.” Gavin sighed.

“Tell you what. I’ll go back to the precinct and investigate this Rogers guy, and you can analyze every fucking speck of dust between me and there until you figure out what’s drugging me up. You’re fuckin’ smart, RK, if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that. You’ll figure it out. You have my permission to get into my life, and don’t stop till you know how I’m being drugged.” Conrad nodded.

“Understood.” He scanned Gavin, and found no traces of any apparatuses that were injecting him from inside his own body.

“Your body is free from surgically implanted devices. Additionally, your clothes are uncontaminated and there are no track marks from continued external injection, either. The drug is not being injected.”

“Good, see, we’re getting somewhere. Alright, let’s go to the precinct.” Gavin reached for the doorknob, but Conrad caught his wrist. He scanned the doorknob and the door, but found it clean. He released Gavin’s hand, and Gavin nodded his thanks before opening the door. Letting Conrad micro-analyze every second of his life was gonna be tedious as hell, but if the end result was getting rid of this fatigue, it would be worth it.

 


End file.
